editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David Welna is NPR's national security correspondent. Having previously covered Congress over a 13-year period starting in 2001, Welna reported extensively on matters related to national security. He covered the debates on Capitol Hill over authorizing the use of military force prior to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the expansion of government surveillance practices arising from Congress' approval of the USA Patriot Act. Welna also reported on congressional probes into the use of torture by U.S. officials interrogating terrorism suspects. He also traveled with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to Afghanistan on the Pentagon chief's first overseas trip in that post. In mid-1998, after 15 years of reporting from abroad for NPR, Welna joined NPR's Chicago bureau. During that posting, he reported on a wide range of issues: changes in Midwestern agriculture that threaten the survival of small farms, the personal impact of foreign conflicts and economic crises in the heartland,NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David WelnaSun, 02 Jul 2017 21:17:46 +0000David Welnahttp://peoriapublicradio.org
David Welnahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DmMMQq5p58 Trash-tweeting the news media for the fifteenth time in a week, President Trump spent part of Sunday morning at his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey maligning CNN. This time it was a video clip. Posted on Trump's personal Twitter account, it shows him clotheslining wrestling empresario Vince McMahon at a "Wrestlemania" match 10 years ago that was billed as "The Battle of the Billionaires." As Trump knocks McMahon to the ground with a forearm slam, an apparently photo-shopped CNN logo covers McMahon's face. The takedown is repeated four times in the video, which is accompanied by two hashtags: #FraudNewsCNN and #FNN. The message from the nation's 45th president seems unmistakeable: Trump would love to body slam CNN just as he floored McMahon. On ABC's This Week , host Martha Raddatz showed Trump's taunting tweet to White House Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert, who was seeing it for the first time. "That seems like a threat," RaddatzTrump Tweets Clip Of Him Bodyslamming CNN; Network Says 'Do Your Job'http://peoriapublicradio.org/post/trump-tweets-clip-him-bodyslamming-cnn-network-says-do-your-job
77283 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgSun, 02 Jul 2017 19:15:00 +0000Trump Tweets Clip Of Him Bodyslamming CNN; Network Says 'Do Your Job'David WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: An American Air Force fighter shot down an Iranian-made drone in Syria today. It was the latest such encounter as tensions escalate in the war in Syria, a war that Congress never authorized the U.S. to join. Some lawmakers are uncomfortable with that, and they're beginning to consider a new authorization to guide the military's long-lasting conflicts overseas. NPR's David Welna has the story. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: As he gaveled in today's hearing, Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Foreign Relations panel, noted that the U.S. has been fighting the Islamic State for nearly three years under an authorization for the use of military force passed just days after the 9/11 attacks. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) BOB CORKER: We are approaching the day when an American soldier will deploy to combat under legal authority that was passed before they were born. WELNA: Ben Cardin, the ranking Democrat, noted that theAuthorization For The Use Of Military Force Could Be Up For Update In Senatehttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/authorization-use-military-force-could-be-update-senate
76744 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgTue, 20 Jun 2017 20:44:00 +0000Authorization For The Use Of Military Force Could Be Up For Update In SenateDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: When the United States carries out an attack on another nation, as it did last night on an air base in Syria, there is usually a legal justification to back it up. Not this time, at least the Trump administration has offered none so far. With no prior blessing from either the United Nations or Congress, many are asking whether the attack on Syria broke the law. NPR's David Welna has the story. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: One thing you cannot say about the Tomahawk missile attack of that Syrian air base, that the Trump administration did not warn it was coming. At the United Nations yesterday, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley told her colleagues that when the international community fails to act collectively against the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, nation states may act alone. Today, Haley sought to justify last night's airstrikes. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) NIKKI HALEY: The United States will not stand by when chemicalCongress Calls For Vote On Authorizing Use Of Force In Syriahttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/congress-calls-vote-authorizing-use-force-syria
73229 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgFri, 07 Apr 2017 20:31:00 +0000Congress Calls For Vote On Authorizing Use Of Force In SyriaDavid WelnaFormer national security adviser Mike Flynn has said he'd testify to congressional committees investigating Russian election meddling in exchange for immunity from prosecution. President Trump encouraged him to try to make such a deal to protect himself from what Trump called a "witch hunt." Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: I'm Ari Shapiro in Washington where an ever-widening probe is taking new turns by the hour. It's the investigation into Russia's meddling in the presidential election and what role, if any, the Trump campaign had in it. NPR national security correspondent David Welna has been following the latest developments. Hi, David. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Hi, Ari. SHAPIRO: Let's start with an update. What do we know today that we didn't know yesterday? WELNA: Well, today's story is Mike Flynn. He, of course, is the retired lieutenant general who lasted about three weeks as President Trump's national security adviser. He was fired after news reportsIn A Story With Many Twists, Congress' Russia Election-Meddling Probe Takes Anotherhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/story-many-twists-congress-russia-election-meddling-probe-takes-another
72893 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgFri, 31 Mar 2017 21:52:00 +0000In A Story With Many Twists, Congress' Russia Election-Meddling Probe Takes AnotherDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Now to developments in the House Intelligence Committee's efforts to investigate Russian meddling in the presidential election and possible collusion with President Trump's associates. Three people who had key roles in Trump's campaign now say they're willing to testify before the committee. But an open hearing scheduled for next week has been canceled, and questions about White House interference in the investigation are growing. NPR's David Welna has the story. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: A sign of where this fraud House investigation may be heading is the kinds of news conferences the panel's two leaders have been holding. Last week, Republican Chairman Devin Nunes and ranking Democrat Adam Schiff stood side by side as they took questions from reporters. Today they made separate appearances. A rift has grown since Nunes went to the White House Wednesday and shared sensitive intelligence with President Trump that the rest of thePaul Manafort Agrees To Testify Before Congress In Russia Probehttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/paul-manafort-agrees-testify-congress-russia-probe
72556 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgFri, 24 Mar 2017 20:32:00 +0000Paul Manafort Agrees To Testify Before Congress In Russia ProbeDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee is drawing criticism from all sides today. Yesterday, Chairman Devin Nunes went to the White House to talk with President Trump. He shared classified information about surveillance that took place after the presidential election. It was highly unusual because Nunes had not yet shared that information with members of his own committee. NPR's David Welna has more. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: When the House Intelligence Committee met behind closed doors this morning, Chairman Devin Nunes had some explaining to do. Despite the panel's newly launched inquiry into Russia's meddling in the presidential election, Nunes had shared with President Trump but not the committee intelligence he said may show Trump and his transition team were monitored while having conversations with foreign officials. Adam Schiff is the committee's ranking Democrat. ADAM SCHIFF: I think the members had aHouse Intel Chairman Apologizes Over Trump Surveillance Claimshttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/house-intel-chairman-apologizes-over-trump-surveillance-claims
72493 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgThu, 23 Mar 2017 20:41:00 +0000House Intel Chairman Apologizes Over Trump Surveillance ClaimsDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: And we're going to hear now about the reaction on Capitol Hill to the attorney general's decision to recuse himself of any investigation involving the Trump presidential campaign. Joining us to talk about this is NPR national security correspondent David Welna. Hi, David. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Hey, Ari. SHAPIRO: How is Sessions' decision to recuse himself playing on the Hill? WELNA: Well, you know, I think it has to come as a big relief to Republicans because just what course of action Sessions should take was becoming an issue dividing GOP lawmakers. A lot of Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, had said they saw no reason for Sessions to recuse himself from any probe unless it was specifically about him. But there were at least half a dozen prominent Republicans who said Sessions should recuse himself, and they said that before he announced that he would. Chuck Grassley, the Republican who chairs the Senate JudiciaryHouse Intelligence Committee Agrees On Scope Of Russia Investigationhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/house-intelligence-committee-agrees-scope-russia-investigation
71728 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgThu, 02 Mar 2017 23:34:00 +0000House Intelligence Committee Agrees On Scope Of Russia InvestigationDavid WelnaIf President Trump wants to keep his promise to send new detainees to the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, there's plenty of room. "We haven't received any orders to take additional detainees in," says Navy Capt. John Filostrat. "But if given the order, we could go ahead and comply." Filostrat, a spokesman for the island lockup, took reporters on their first tour of Guantanamo's prison camps since Donald Trump became president. It was a "windshield tour," meaning journalists could only view the camps from outside the high, razor-wire topped and fabric-draped fences that surround them. Still, this was a rare opportunity to see how things looked around the same prison that President Obama during his last months in office had raced — unsuccessfully — to empty. Trump wants the opposite. He warned during the presidential campaign that the U.S. is threatened by a lot of "bad dudes" whom he'd send to Guantanamo if they were captured. And since his election, his administration hasPlenty Of Room At Guantanamo Bay For Trump's 'Bad Dudes'http://peoriapublicradio.org/post/plenty-room-guantanamo-bay-trumps-bad-dudes
70700 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgWed, 08 Feb 2017 15:50:00 +0000Plenty Of Room At Guantanamo Bay For Trump's 'Bad Dudes'David WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: We're going to take you now to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. There's a war court meeting today for the first time under the new Trump administration. It's one more of many attempts to bring the five most high-profile detainees to trial, men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks. But the whole thing's been stuck for years in pretrial motions and legal fights over evidence. NPR's David Welna is outside the courtroom in Guantanamo, and he joins us now on the line. Hi, David. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Hi, Rachel. MARTIN: This has been going on for five years. So what does the new administration mean for this process? WELNA: Well, you know, Trump hasn't had much to say about this trial. But it really has showcased the perils of trying to put a group of men on trial for mass murder with this so-called military commission, which has been revamped three times since the attacks they're accused of plotting. Mark Martins, he's the brigadier general,Military Commissions Resume At Guantanamohttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/military-commissions-resume-guantanamo
70070 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgWed, 25 Jan 2017 10:03:00 +0000Military Commissions Resume At GuantanamoDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Among the many things that President Obama will be handing off to his successor this week are two wars. Obama came to office eight years ago vowing to end U.S. military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, President-elect Trump stands to inherit the nation's longest war in Afghanistan and renewed fighting in Iraq that has spread to Syria. NPR's David Welna has the story. (SOUNDBITE OF MILITARY BAND) DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Earlier this month at a military base near the Pentagon, there was a farewell ceremony with lots of pomp for President Obama. General Joe Dunford, who will stay on as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hailed the commander in chief who gave him that job with a stark reminder. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) GENERAL JOE DUNFORD: Mr. President, we've been at war throughout your tenure. That's a period longer than any other American president. WELNA: And it's far longer than Obama would haveAfter Years Of War, Trump Stands To Inherit Ongoing Conflictshttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/after-years-war-trump-stands-inherit-ongoing-conflicts
69795 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgWed, 18 Jan 2017 23:33:00 +0000After Years Of War, Trump Stands To Inherit Ongoing ConflictsDavid WelnaAfter nearly an hour's flight north from Baghdad, a cavernous C-130 military cargo plane touches down. Aboard are reporters, Pentagon officials and the man who has occasioned this trip, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. The plane taxis along an airstrip that as recently as July was controlled — and then largely destroyed — by Islamic State fighters. This is the Qayyarah Airfield West, just 30 miles south of Mosul. When Islamic State fighters attacked Mosul more than two years ago, soldiers guarding Iraq's second-largest city fled in disarray. Now, with an assist from the U.S., Iraq's security forces are two months into a fierce battle to retake Mosul. This base is now firmly under U.S. and Iraqi control, and it is a key staging site for the assault on Mosul. The late afternoon sun is low, the temperature in the 30s and the air brisk as we follow crushed rock trails over fine, tan dust. The high concrete blast walls lining the base's perimeter cannot shield it from enemy mortars. SoDefense Secretary Ash Carter Predicts 'Tough Fight' Ahead To Retake Mosulhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/defense-secretary-ash-carter-predicts-tough-fight-ahead-retake-mosul
68726 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgThu, 22 Dec 2016 22:43:00 +0000Defense Secretary Ash Carter Predicts 'Tough Fight' Ahead To Retake MosulDavid WelnaCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: As time runs out on the Obama administration, President Obama's defense secretary, Ash Carter, has spent the past week making final visits to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. And his message has been that the United States can be counted on now and after Donald Trump takes office. NPR's David Welna is traveling with Carter and joins us on the line. David, good morning. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Good morning, David. GREENE: So yesterday, it sounds like you were pretty close to Mosul in Iraq, where the United States is helping Iraqi forces try to take this city from - from ISIS. I mean, tell us - tell us about the secretary's visit there. WELNA: Sure. Secretary Carter went to an airbase that was originally built by the U.S. that's just 35 miles south of Mosul. It was his first visit there. It's a place that the Islamic State seized from Iraq a couple of years back, and it was only reclaimed about four months ago. The Islamic StatePentagon Chief Ash Carter Makes Unannounced Trip To Baghdadhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/pentagon-chief-ash-carter-makes-unannounced-trip-baghdad
68259 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgMon, 12 Dec 2016 12:41:00 +0000Pentagon Chief Ash Carter Makes Unannounced Trip To BaghdadDavid WelnaCongress had a full seven months to block a rule change for federal courts that lets judges authorize the hacking of digital devices well beyond their districts . But after a September attempt in the Senate to vote on the measure failed, opponents on Capitol Hill waited until the day before the rule change was to take effect to introduce three motions aimed at shooting it down or at least delaying its implementation. They weren't successful. So as of midnight Dec. 1, the change to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure — the statute that covers Fourth Amendment search and seizure warrants — is the law of the land. And that, says Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, "should send a shiver down the spine of all Americans." The Department of Justice, which sought the rules change , disagrees. On its website, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Criminal Division argues that the changes "would merely ensure that at least one court is available to consider whether aJudges Have More Power In Granting Warrants To Hack Digital Deviceshttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/judges-have-more-power-granting-warrants-hack-digital-devices
67821 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgThu, 01 Dec 2016 10:00:00 +0000Judges Have More Power In Granting Warrants To Hack Digital DevicesDavid WelnaCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Four years ago, the Senate Intelligence Committee produced a massive report on how the CIA detained and interrogated suspected terrorists. But that torture report, as it's come to be known, remains classified. Only a censored summary of its findings has come out. NPR's David Welna reports that with the arrival of the Trump administration, that full report may never be made public. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Weighing in at nearly 7,000 pages and 32,000 footnotes, the Senate report on the CIA's interrogation program is not just heavy. One of the few who's actually read it says it's also damning. DIANNE FEINSTEIN: It is a total expose of the ineffectiveness of torture. WELNA: California Democrat Dianne Feinstein chaired the Senate Intelligence panel that produced the so-called torture report. She fought for the release two years ago of a 500-page summary just before Democrats lost control of the committee. Feinstein is now asking thatTrump Presidency Casts Doubt Over Declassification Of CIA Torture Reporthttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/trump-presidency-casts-doubt-over-declassification-cia-torture-report
67708 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgMon, 28 Nov 2016 23:28:00 +0000Trump Presidency Casts Doubt Over Declassification Of CIA Torture ReportDavid WelnaAmong the many unknowns hanging over this presidential transition: the fate of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. President Obama has sworn to close it; President-elect Trump wants to fill it up again. Obama has been promising the closure will happen since his second day in office in 2009. In February, he repeated that pledge one more time, saying, "I'm absolutely committed to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo." That same day, at a campaign rally in Sparks, Nevada, Donald Trump was promising the opposite. "This morning, I watched President Obama talking about Gitmo, right, Guantanamo Bay, which by the way, which by the way, we are keeping open. Which we are keeping open ... and we're gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're gonna load it up." But, says Ben Wittes, editor-in-chief of the national security blog Lawfare, " You have to ask the question, with whom?" Because the U.S. is not fighting ground wars and taking prisoners like it once did,Trump Has Vowed To Fill Guantanamo With 'Some Bad Dudes' — But Who?http://peoriapublicradio.org/post/trump-has-vowed-fill-guantanamo-some-bad-dudes-who
67138 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgMon, 14 Nov 2016 19:44:00 +0000Trump Has Vowed To Fill Guantanamo With 'Some Bad Dudes' — But Who?David WelnaThe U.S. and Russia are the world's two mightiest nuclear powers, and yet over the years, they've made deals to reduce their respective arsenals. Just like a marriage gone bad, though, things have soured between Washington and Moscow. Bickering over nuclear issues has increased markedly in recent months, with each side accusing the other of cheating. And that war of words is being matched by actions: Russia, in early October, moved a battery of nuclear-capable missile launchers within range of three Baltic states. In September, three U.S. long-range bombers — the kind used to drop nuclear weapons — flew over Eastern Europe in NATO military exercises. Russia, in late October, unveiled images of a new intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed the Satan 2, whose warhead, it claims, can destroy an area the size of Texas. "I would have to say that, without question, this is the low point in U.S.-Russian relations since the end of the Cold War," says Steven Pifer , an arms control expert at'A Dangerous Situation' As U.S.-Russia Tensions Spill Over To Nuclear Pactshttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/dangerous-situation-us-russia-tensions-spill-over-nuclear-pacts
66480 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgMon, 31 Oct 2016 07:26:00 +0000'A Dangerous Situation' As U.S.-Russia Tensions Spill Over To Nuclear PactsDavid WelnaCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency worker, is back in the news. On Capitol Hill, a House committee met in secret today. Members approved a new report about how Snowden leaked classified documents from the NSA three years ago. This report comes more than a year after Congress reined in the Intelligence Agency in response to Snowden's revelations. It also comes as a new film by the director Oliver Stone titled "Snowden" is about to hit movie theaters. NPR's David Welna reports. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Most major congressional reports are rolled out with news conferences, floor speeches and press releases - not this one. There's only a three-page unclassified summary of the House Intelligence Committee's actual 36-page report which remains classified. Devin Nunes is the California Republican who chairs that panel. WELNA: The report is based on facts, so it's just all the facts that we gathered over a two-year process.House Intelligence Committee Reviews Classified Report On Edward Snowdenhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/house-intelligence-committee-reviews-classified-report-edward-snowden
64603 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgThu, 15 Sep 2016 20:31:00 +0000House Intelligence Committee Reviews Classified Report On Edward SnowdenDavid WelnaCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR .A Look At Donald Trump's Ties To Russiahttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/look-donald-trumps-ties-russia
62195 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgMon, 25 Jul 2016 20:17:00 +0000A Look At Donald Trump's Ties To RussiaDavid WelnaCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Growing Evidence Points To Single Gunman In Dallas Attackhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/growing-evidence-points-single-gunman-dallas-attack
61385 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgFri, 08 Jul 2016 23:10:00 +0000Growing Evidence Points To Single Gunman In Dallas AttackDavid WelnaCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.As 10-Year Deal Nears End, Israel Urges U.S. To Provide More Arms Aidhttp://peoriapublicradio.org/post/10-year-deal-nears-end-israel-urges-us-provide-more-arms-aid
58687 as http://peoriapublicradio.orgWed, 11 May 2016 20:28:00 +0000As 10-Year Deal Nears End, Israel Urges U.S. To Provide More Arms Aid